What is a butt tuba and why is it in medieval art? - Michelle Brown
931,407 Views
3,550 Questions Answered
TEDEd Animation
Let’s Begin…
A rabbit attempts to play a church organ, while a knight fights a giant snail and a naked man blows a trumpet with his rear end. These bizarre images, painted with squirrel-hair brushes on vellum or parchment by monks, nuns and urban craftspeople, populate the margins of the most prized books from the Middle Ages. Michelle Brown explores the rich history and tradition of illuminated manuscripts.
Why do you think people making medieval books started including images in the margins, rather than just including illustrations as in later printed books?
Sign in to answer questionAbout TED-Ed Animations
TED-Ed Animations feature the words and ideas of educators brought to life by professional animators. Are you an educator or animator interested in creating a TED-Ed Animation? Nominate yourself here »
Meet The Creators
- Educator Michelle Brown
- Narrator Adrian Dannatt
- Producer Anna Dolzhenko
- Art Director Anna Dolzhenko
- Animator Denis Bousygin, Sasha Dudka
- Illustrator Denis Bousygin, Sasha Dudka
- Storyboard Artist Denis Bousygin
- Director of Production Gerta Xhelo
- Editorial Producer Alex Rosenthal
- Associate Producer Bethany Cutmore-Scott
- Associate Editorial Producer Elizabeth Cox
- Script Editor Alex Gendler
- Fact-Checker Joseph Isaac
